Description

A suspect. An arrest. A confession. A case done and dusted...?

Five years ago a 13-year-old girl disappeared in broad daylight on a busy street. DCS James Langton headed the investigation; the case was never closed. It has haunted him ever since. And now comes another confession, to this murder, and to one more besides. Too good to be true? DCI Anna Travis, pulled into the fray, isn't so sure that they have their man. Then the suspect changes his story...

'The mistress of suspense... a superb storyteller' Daily Express

'Breathless... ranks impressively against the best of Prime Suspect' Guardian

Lynda La Plante

"FOR THOSE WHO LOVE MYSTERIES BUT WISH THAT PATRICIA CORNWELL HAD A DIRTIER MIND,"* the author of Above Suspicion and the acclaimed Prime Suspect series returns with a new mystery.

When the body of a young girl is found dumped on the banks of the Thames, even the police are shocked by the brutality of her murder: horrifically mutilated, severed in half, and drained of blood, her corpse is an obvious mirror image of the famous Black Dahlia murder in 1940s Los Angeles.

Now Detective Inspector Anna Travis must race against time to catch this copycat killer. She turns to her mentor, the brilliant and volatile Detective Chief Inspector James Langton, but the frictions of their romantic relationship are complicating the case. And then a second girl is found...

In the footsteps of Jane Tennison, immortalized by Helen Mirren in Prime Suspect, comes Anna Travis, a rookie female detective about to embark on her first murder case. The murders couldn't be more gruesome. The method of killing is identical, the backgrounds of the girls very similar -- all are prostitutes. As the book opens, a seventh body is found, same modus operandi but the victim this time is a sweet young student. Anna stumbles on a vital piece of information that links one man to the killings, a well-known, much-loved actor. His protestation of innocence is convincing, and Anna might be succumbing to his flattering attention. What if he is arrested, the media erupts, and he is the wrong man?

Award-winning and international bestselling author Lynda La Plante brings back her popular series character, London Detective Chief Inspector Anna Travis of the Murder Squad, to work a seventh case in Blood Line. La Plante, who bestselling crime fiction author Karin Slaughter (Blindsided) says “practically invented the thriller,” is best known for her Prime Suspect novels, the basis for the wildly popular BBC series starring Helen Mirren and a recent U.S. incarnation featuring Maria Bello. In Blood Line, Anna takes on a high profile missing person investigation which might well develop into the hunt for a murderer, especially when a pool of blood is discovered but no body. Crime fiction fans who appreciate a good cop and a good murder—especially Ian Rankin, Ruth Rendell, Elizabeth George, Peter Robinson, and Val McDermid readers—will be eagerly following the trail of evidence every step of the way.

Late night on a notorious high-rise estate in the borough of Hackney. A woman on the street never makes it home after a long night of drinking. A white van is being driven erratically. The driver is pulled over by the police and questioned. A suspect . . . an arrest . . . a confession. Case closed?

Five years earlier, a thirteen-year-old girl disappeared in broad daylight on a busy London street. Detective Chief Superintendent James Langton headed the investigation; the case was never solved. It has haunted him ever since. And now comes another confession, to this murder, and to one more besides. But is it too good to be true? After being pulled into the fray, Anna Travis isn't so sure that they have their man.

When the body of a young woman is discovered close to a highway service station, Detective Inspector Anna Travis is brought on to the team of investigators by her former lover and boss, Detective Chief Superintendent Langton. As more evidence is uncovered, the team realizes that they are contending with a triple murder investigation—and no suspect.

But then a murderer Anna helped arrest years ago makes contact from prison. Cameron Welsh insists that he can help track down the killer, but he will divulge his secrets only to Anna herself. Does he really have an insight into another criminal’s mind, or is he merely intent on getting into hers?

The team soon realizes that they are dealing with a killer whose deviousness has enabled him to commit horrific crimes, yet remain undetected for years. As the case draws to a close, Welsh’s obsession for Anna fuels a terrifying rage that will have disastrous consequences for Anna, who finds herself staring into the face of a desperate personal tragedy.

Film star Amanda Delany has the world at her feet. Never one for the quiet life, she has had a string of affairs with the hottest actors around. Then, coming home late from a night shoot, Amanda puts the key in her front door for the very last time. The next morning, Amanda’s body is found, stabbed many times, only her beautiful face left unharmed.

DI Anna Travis is ordered to the team assigned to the Delany murder, headed by Anna’s former lover, the demanding DCI James Langton. Anna is shocked by the truth behind Amanda’s public image: her addictions to drugs and starvation diets; her cold, unemotional parents; her elusive film agent; and the former lovers so quick to distance themselves. But Anna has challenges of her own to overcome too. Promotion to Chief Inspector is within her grasp, but when the time comes for her to stand before the board, she faces a shocking accusation of personal misconduct.

With insider authenticity derived from La Plante’s years in the film world and a heroine worthy of her predecessor, Prime Suspect’s Jane Tennison, Silent Scream is La Plante’s best yet.

From award-winning author Lynda La Plante comes the latest detective story involving Anna Travis, who must juggle old and new love affairs while tracking down one of the world’s deadliest drug dealers.

Ruthless drug trafficker Alexander Fitzpatrick is one of the most wanted men in the Western hemisphere. But for ten years, there’s been no sign of him. Is he dead, or just trying to appear that way? When an ex-colleague from the murder squad is found shot in a dank drug den, Anna Travis is pulled into the case. She’s grateful for the distraction after her breakup with DCI Langton, and soon finds herself involved with someone new.

But as the bodies pile up and the mystery deepens, Travis and Langton must put aside their personal history and work together to track down one of the shrewdest criminals they’ve ever encountered.

Dedicated, intuitive, and utterly obsessive, DCI James Langton is ruthless in his pursuit of a gang of illegal immigrants, the murderers of a young prostitute. When one of them nearly kills him, Anna Travis nurses his wounds and bears the brunt of his frustrations, putting her own life and career on hold. But then one of Anna's own cases -- the seemingly motiveless murder of a quiet, studious woman -- turns out to be linked with Langton's, and Anna becomes the gang's next target. As USA Today wrote of La Plante's Above Suspicion, "There is no sugarcoating on this 100-proof police procedural." La Plante's legions of fans will not be disappointed.

In Prime Suspect 3, Lynda La Plante’s no-nonsense detective, Jane Tennison, takes on the most insidious nemesis she’s ever faced—her own mounting obsessions. Determined to bring justice to the murder of a teenaged male prostitute, but thwarted by conspiracy, corruption, and chauvinism at every level of her own police force, Jane is starting to crack. And though she’s finally broken through the glass ceiling of her old station house and been promoted to the Soho Vice Squad, her furious quest for the truth will put everything she’s accomplished back on the line. Readers of Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan thrillers, La Plante’s Anna Travis mysteries, and television series like Bones, The Closer, and Law and Order: SVU will not want to miss the final, memorable chapter in the hard-boiled female detective series that started them all—Prime Suspect 3: Silent Victims.

The fast-paced followup to Lynda La Plante’s first Prime Suspect thriller, Prime Suspect 2: A Face in the Crowd brings reunites readers with Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison as she hunts down a mysterious killer hidden amidst London’s dark streets and dockways—and as she continues to struggle against the male dominated politics of Scotland Yard. The no-nonsense detective will strike a chord with readers of Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan books or La Plante’s own Anna Travis mysteries, and will wow fans of the television series Bones, The Closer, and Law and Order: SVU.

2

My review

Review from

Reviews

4.4

22 total

A Google User

Review: Backlash Late night on a notorious highrise estate in Hackney and a white van is being driven erratically. The driver is pulled over by the police and questioned. A woman on the street after a long evening's drinking...She never makes it home. A suspect...an arrest...a confession...A case done and dusted? Five years earlier, a 13yearold girl disappeared in broad daylight on a busy London street. DCS James ...

Debbie Callaghan-Scott

Absolutely amazing book that I struggled to put down

Lindsay Armstrong

Predictable but a good read with a few twists.

John Hushen

Very long winded, very predictable and not much mystery or suspense also as it says on the cover "2 unsolved murders and 3 confessions" is a very misleading statement ?? - won't be reading any more of these books by linda la plant !!

Jayne Harrison

Backlash Great book love anna and langton

Neverwithoutabook

LibraryThing Review Fantastic read if murder mysteries are your thing! I didn't want to put it down! My only regret is starting this series with this book as it's #8 in the series. I've already searched out #1 and planning to catch up. Great characters and great writing!

Critic reviews

A Google User

Bookreporter.com

Review: Backlash Late night on a notorious highrise estate in Hackney and a white van is being driven erratically. The driver is pulled over by the police and questioned. A woman on the street after a long evening's drinking...She never makes it home. A suspect...an arrest...a confession...A case done and dusted? Five years earlier, a 13yearold girl disappeared in broad daylight on a busy London street. DCS James ...

Very long winded, very predictable and not much mystery or suspense also as it says on the cover "2 unsolved murders and 3 confessions" is a very misleading statement ?? - won't be reading any more of these books by linda la plant !!

LibraryThing Review Fantastic read if murder mysteries are your thing! I didn't want to put it down! My only regret is starting this series with this book as it's #8 in the series. I've already searched out #1 and planning to catch up. Great characters and great writing!

LibraryThing Review Lynda La Plante's name was always one I recognized, but until last year I hadn't read any of her books. That quickly changed and I've added her to my list of favourite British mystery authors. La ...

LibraryThing Review I'd forgotten what the series of these books were about by this author , and were very dissapointed as per the last novel, the main character Anna is pathetic and the storylines are weak and based on ...

LibraryThing Review BACKLASH is an Anna Travis Mystery (Book #8) written by Lynda La Plante. A chance ‘pull over’ of an erratically driven van leads to the discovery of a brutally murdered woman and a full investigation ...

Similar

Award-winning and international bestselling author Lynda La Plante brings back her popular series character, London Detective Chief Inspector Anna Travis of the Murder Squad, to work a seventh case in Blood Line. La Plante, who bestselling crime fiction author Karin Slaughter (Blindsided) says “practically invented the thriller,” is best known for her Prime Suspect novels, the basis for the wildly popular BBC series starring Helen Mirren and a recent U.S. incarnation featuring Maria Bello. In Blood Line, Anna takes on a high profile missing person investigation which might well develop into the hunt for a murderer, especially when a pool of blood is discovered but no body. Crime fiction fans who appreciate a good cop and a good murder—especially Ian Rankin, Ruth Rendell, Elizabeth George, Peter Robinson, and Val McDermid readers—will be eagerly following the trail of evidence every step of the way.

Dedicated, intuitive, and utterly obsessive, DCI James Langton is ruthless in his pursuit of a gang of illegal immigrants, the murderers of a young prostitute. When one of them nearly kills him, Anna Travis nurses his wounds and bears the brunt of his frustrations, putting her own life and career on hold. But then one of Anna's own cases -- the seemingly motiveless murder of a quiet, studious woman -- turns out to be linked with Langton's, and Anna becomes the gang's next target. As USA Today wrote of La Plante's Above Suspicion, "There is no sugarcoating on this 100-proof police procedural." La Plante's legions of fans will not be disappointed.

"FOR THOSE WHO LOVE MYSTERIES BUT WISH THAT PATRICIA CORNWELL HAD A DIRTIER MIND,"* the author of Above Suspicion and the acclaimed Prime Suspect series returns with a new mystery.

When the body of a young girl is found dumped on the banks of the Thames, even the police are shocked by the brutality of her murder: horrifically mutilated, severed in half, and drained of blood, her corpse is an obvious mirror image of the famous Black Dahlia murder in 1940s Los Angeles.

Now Detective Inspector Anna Travis must race against time to catch this copycat killer. She turns to her mentor, the brilliant and volatile Detective Chief Inspector James Langton, but the frictions of their romantic relationship are complicating the case. And then a second girl is found...

From award-winning author Lynda La Plante comes the latest detective story involving Anna Travis, who must juggle old and new love affairs while tracking down one of the world’s deadliest drug dealers.

Ruthless drug trafficker Alexander Fitzpatrick is one of the most wanted men in the Western hemisphere. But for ten years, there’s been no sign of him. Is he dead, or just trying to appear that way? When an ex-colleague from the murder squad is found shot in a dank drug den, Anna Travis is pulled into the case. She’s grateful for the distraction after her breakup with DCI Langton, and soon finds herself involved with someone new.

But as the bodies pile up and the mystery deepens, Travis and Langton must put aside their personal history and work together to track down one of the shrewdest criminals they’ve ever encountered.

The fast-paced followup to Lynda La Plante’s first Prime Suspect thriller, Prime Suspect 2: A Face in the Crowd brings reunites readers with Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison as she hunts down a mysterious killer hidden amidst London’s dark streets and dockways—and as she continues to struggle against the male dominated politics of Scotland Yard. The no-nonsense detective will strike a chord with readers of Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan books or La Plante’s own Anna Travis mysteries, and will wow fans of the television series Bones, The Closer, and Law and Order: SVU.

In Prime Suspect 3, Lynda La Plante’s no-nonsense detective, Jane Tennison, takes on the most insidious nemesis she’s ever faced—her own mounting obsessions. Determined to bring justice to the murder of a teenaged male prostitute, but thwarted by conspiracy, corruption, and chauvinism at every level of her own police force, Jane is starting to crack. And though she’s finally broken through the glass ceiling of her old station house and been promoted to the Soho Vice Squad, her furious quest for the truth will put everything she’s accomplished back on the line. Readers of Laura Lippman’s Tess Monaghan thrillers, La Plante’s Anna Travis mysteries, and television series like Bones, The Closer, and Law and Order: SVU will not want to miss the final, memorable chapter in the hard-boiled female detective series that started them all—Prime Suspect 3: Silent Victims.

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